Cupid Effect
by MinnieBSB
Summary: A Valentine's Day inspired story about our favorite Lieutenant and A.D.A. dealing with a cupid effect. Love y'all!
1. Something Stirring

**An: Hello! This is my very first time writing a fic for the Barson pairing. I really don't want to give any of the plot away by giving you too many details at the moment. I will say that this is a short Valentine's Day story, and I really hope you all enjoy it! I'd absolutely love some feedback. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.**

"Good job, counselor. You nailed the guy" Carisi congratulated the A.D.A. The case had proved to be quite a challenge throughout the week; two of their three witnesses were unable to pick the perp out of a lineup, followed by a video of their drunk victim stripping for a group of men at the party where she was raped surfacing only a day before the trial began. Somehow, Rafael Barba had managed to reveal the defendant's true colors to the jury and get a conviction.

"Thanks" Barba nodded curtly. He was starting to warm up to the young detective, but he would never admit that. He made his way to the elevator, noticing a familiar figure out of the corner of his eyes.

"Lieutenant" He greeted with a small smile. She looked like she had had a long day and was a bit flustered, but he knew better than to press her for information.

"I tried to get here for the verdict, but we caught another case" She explained.

"Never ends, does it?" He asked as they stepped into the elevator, standing shoulder to shoulder.

"Tell me about it" She sighed. Her phone began to ring, distracting her for a moment.

"Benson".

He gratefully used the opportunity he had been given to look over her profile. Her adorable little nose caught his eye first. Then her pouty lips and the way their corners curved up when she smiled. And those eyes…

"What?" She asked, feeling his eyes on her.

"Nothing".

"Are you sure? You looked pretty out there for a second".

"I'm fine. Great even" He assured. When did he become an awkward teenaged boy around her?

"Okay then...I'll see you tonight". She walked out of the elevator, making him realize that it had been stopped on the main floor. He quickly got out of the courthouse and down the street, needing the distance to think properly. His feelings for Olivia had grown exponentially for the last several months, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to hold a conversation with her without getting tongue tied or just looking stupid in general. He tried, and mostly succeeded, to keep conversations strictly professional. At the same time, he absolutely loved to joke around with the usually serious and stern lieutenant.

If only he had the courage to tell her…

"Hola, mami" Rafael said as he entered his mother's apartment. It was a small and humble place, but he felt like he was home when he was there. Although his work schedule was crazy, he made sure that he had time to sit down and eat with his mother, Lucia, at least once a week. The both of them needed the time to forget about the stress of work and life in general and just chat while enjoying food. This week he wanted to take her out for a nice dinner at one of her favorite places.

"Rafi, come here" She ordered, opening her arms to her son. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing mami. Just some work stuff" He lied. He couldn't get Olivia off of his mind and he was sure that it would drive him crazy.

"Sit down and tell me the truth or we aren't going anywhere" Lucia threatened with a bit of a smile. It was like when he was a child all over again. He sighed, but did as she was told.

He had told his mother about Olivia before, but only as a co worker. Actually, it had started with him complaining to her about how snarky the captain was and her complete disregard of the law at times of emergency. Over the years, he found himself telling his mother about something funny the brunette said or how wonderful she was with victims. Lucia always sat quietly and listened, but by the smile on her face though, he could tell that she suspected there was more to it.

"What's troubling you?"

"I'm serious, it's nothing big".

"Then why are you making a big deal out of it?"

She had him there.

"I don't know how to talk to Olivia anymore" He started. "I either get caught staring or say something stupid every time I'm with her". Lucia gave him a knowing look, but kept quiet so he could continue. "Today I was too busy looking at her to notice that the elevator had arrived at the floor I needed".

"Sounds like you're in love" Lucia commented.

He hadn't thought about his feelings that much. Was he in love with Olivia? It was very possible…

"Can we get dinner now? I have to go over a testimony later".

"With Olivia?"

"Yes, mami, with Olivia".

"Oh, I picked something up for you today" Lucia remembered. She opened one of the cabinets and reached for a box on the middle shelf. The box was red and covered in what looked like Chinese symbols.

"They're cookies. You'll love them" She insisted.

"Thank you".

"Hey Barba, come on in".

He carefully avoided the hundreds of little toys that littered the living room floor as he made his way to the couch. The floor hadn't seen the light of day since Noah's adoption had been finalized. What was the point of cleaning up tons of toys every day when he was just going to destroy the room again the next day?

"Noah, say hi to Barba" Olivia told her son, who was too busy playing with his fire truck to notice their guest.

"Hi" The little one said, briefly looking at him before turning back to his toys.

"I'll have to get him to bed soon or he'll start to get cranky, so let's get started".

They went over her testimony a couple of times, taking a couple of moments to just talk in between runs. Noah started to whine, signaling the end of their work. Rafael was gathering his papers when Olivia emerged from Noah's room with a smile on her face.

"He is out like a light. As soon as he was in the crib, he passed out".

"Sounds like someone was playing too hard". He had all of his stuff together, which meant it was time for him to head out.

"You want a glass of wine? I know I could use one" Olivia offered, already making her way to the kitchen. He was happy to stay a little longer. "Are you hungry? I don't really have anything to snack on, but I'm sure I could find something around here".

Remembering the cookies his mother gave him, Rafael reached into his bag. "Don't worry, I've got that covered". She handed him a glass and sat down on the couch, making herself nice and comfortable. He offered her a cookie and she gladly accepted.

"Wow...this is a really good cookie".

He bit down on his, immediately agreeing. "I'm going to have to ask my mother where she got these".

"Please do. They're really good".

He noticed that there were a lot of cookies in the box. He wouldn't be able to eat all of them by himself.

"Why don't I leave some of these here? There's too many for just me. Besides, I've got to watch my figure" He joked.

"And it's okay if I make mine worse?"

"Oh stop that, you have a perfect figure".

Olivia blushed at the compliment. He had complimented her before, but only about the job. He had never commented on her physically, and she didn't know how to feel about it now that he had. She reached over him to grab another cookie, chuckling when he snagged it out of her hand.

"That one's mine. Get your own" She said, taking back her sweet treat.

They sat snacking on cookies and sipping on wine for another hour or so, nearly forgetting that they both had to be up early the next day. Throughout their time together, Olivia had moved closer to him on the couch. Instinctively, he put his arm around her shoulders. He was surprised when she didn't move or push him away, but he wasn't complaining.

"Do you feel...different?"

He nodded. He couldn't describe it….

"Do you feel different?" He asked her, wondering if she was feeling the same thing he was.

"Yeah" She sighed. "I feel...I feel good. Really, really good". Her eyes were locked on his lips in a heated stare. She slowly moved closer, until there was only a few millimeters between them. Her lips hovered dangerously close over his. He was ready to close the remaining distance, but a loud cry followed by a teary "Mommy" interrupted him.

"I should get going" He said, but made no effort to move.

"I should get him". She stood up, grabbing their now empty wine glasses and taking them to the sink.

He finally stood and grabbed his bag. "Do you want me to leave some of these here?"

"If you don't mind".

He smiled and separated what was left of the box into halves.

"I'll see you tomorrow".

Olivia laid in bed, staring at her ceiling. She couldn't sleep. Her mind was too busy thinking over the events of the day. How had a completely normal day ended with her almost kissing the A.D.A?

Of course she found him attractive. He was smart, witty, and the man knew how to dress. Most of all, he would work his ass off to make sure their victims were comfortable and the perps got the punishments they deserved. She had found herself becoming more and more attracted to him lately, but tonight was just...odd. It felt like she had lost control. But he had smelled so good and looked so nice…

She sighed and turned on to her stomach, clutching her pillow in her arms. She wanted Rafael, but she didn't know what to do. She closed her eyes, ready to try to sleep a little bit.

 **An: Should I continue? Questions, comments, or concerns?**


	2. Something Fishy

**An: Thank you all so much for the beautiful, wonderful, and amazing feedback. It makes me feel a lot better about writing for a new pairing. I fear that I will lose some of you after this chapter, seeing as this is where the main idea of the story comes in. I hope that you still enjoy and would be kind enough to continue with the feedback. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: Liv would have someone in her life by now if I owned the show…**

"Good morning my handsome little man" Olivia cooed as she lifted her son out of his crib. His little fingers played with her hair, which she curled for the first time in months. She woke up an hour earlier than usual, giving her a chance to really take her time and prepare for the day.

"Let's get you changed and ready for Lucy".

"Lu!" He shouted excitedly. She put him down on the changing table, happy that he was still tired enough to not fight her. He had always hated getting his diaper changed. "You're being such a good boy, Noah. Thank you".

"I'm here" Lucy announced. She walked into Noah's bedroom to find Olivia had already changed him, and was now setting an extra outfit in case he needed it later.

"Oh, you look lovely, Liv. I love your hair" Lucy complimented. "What's the special occasion?"

Olivia smiled but shook her head. "Thank you, but there's no special occasion. I just wanted to look as nice as I feel today. He just needs breakfast and he'll be good to go". Noah reached out for his babysitter, making both women smile.

Lucy had fed Noah and cleaned him up when Olivia came out of her bedroom. She was wearing a robe and holding two different clothes hangers in her hands. "Lucy, can I get your opinion on something?"

"Of course".

"Which looks better?" She asked, holding up the two outfits.

"The left. Light purple looks really good on you. Now if you don't mind me asking, who's the guy?"

Olivia tried to fight back the smile that was forming on her face, but she simply couldn't.

"The A.D.A.". She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. "Alright, I'm going to get dressed and then head out. Maybe you could bring Noah by for lunch?"

"Sure. See you then".

*At the precinct*

"Hey Fin, does something seem off about Liv?" Amanda asked her partner. They had only interacted with her for a few short moments, but she acted like she was on cloud nine, floating on air. It was odd.

"Probably got laid last night". Amanda made a funny face, making him laugh. "We work in sex crimes and you can't handle the idea of Olivia doing it" He teased. "Do you hear that?"

He was referring to someone whistling. If she wasn't mistaken, the song was lollipop. Who the hell whistled such a peppy song while walking into the special victims unit?

"Is Liv in her office?" The offender asked.

"Yeah... Go on in Barba" Amanda stammered. She could count the number of times she had seen that man smile on one hand, but his smile was never as genuine as it was now.

"You don't think…" Fin trailed off.

"I don't want to think" Amanda confessed.

"Knock knock" Rafael said as he peeked into her office.

"Barba. What's up?" Her heart was racing. She wanted to tackle him, kiss him until he couldn't breathe, and beg him to take her home for a night of endless-

"Did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" She asked, embarrassed that her mind had gone straight to the gutter.

"I asked if you were free for lunch?"

She immediately nodded. "Shoot. I forgot that I asked Lucy to bring Noah here for lunch. I haven't gotten to see him much this week". She was disappointed, but her son would always be more important. Time spent with him was never wasted time.

"I can wait" He insisted.

"Are you sure?" She asked, not wanting to hold up his day.

"I'm sure".

"I have a snack in my purse if you're feeling a little peckish" She offered. She grabbed her purse and took a baggie of cookies out of it, tossing it to Rafael.

"I'm surprised you have this many left after seeing how many you ate last night" He joked, handing one of the cookies to her.

"I just don't understand why they're so good. They taste like any other cookie, but better, you know?"

"Yeah".

"Momma!" Noah cheered as Lucy opened the door to Olivia's office.

"He's been asking for you all day" Lucy explained as she handed the little boy to his mother. "Oh, hello " She greeted, noticing the man. She turned back to her boss and winked. "If you don't need me for an hour or so, I can head over to my mom's apartment and visit her".

"You're more than welcome to join us" Rafael interjected.

"But you can go to your mom's if you want" Olivia finished. As much as she liked the girl, she hoped that she would opt out of lunch so she could have some time alone with her son and...whatever the hell he actually was.

"I'll go see my mom. Text me when you need me to pick him up".

"So lieutenant, where am I taking the Bensons for lunch?" He asked before snagging another cookie out of the bag. He broke it in half and went to hand it to her, but she was holding Noah. She opened her mouth, giving him permission to feed it to her. Her lips accidentally-on purpose closed around the tips of his fingers.

"Mmm...Yummy" She sexily husked. His eyes were visibly darker than usual, showing how much the mood had shifted in the room within a few short minutes.

"Momma. Hungry" Noah whined, bringing them back to the present moment.

"Lunch. Right" She said to herself.

Rafael sat in his office thinking about how well lunch had gone. He'd be lying if he said that having Noah with them didn't make him a little more nervous. Strangely, he had little to no experience with little children. Noah was a very good boy, but he knew that if the kid didn't like him, Olivia wouldn't want anything to do with him either. Thankfully, their little lunch date had gone incredibly well. Noah had insisted on sitting on the same side of the booth as Rafael. Together they finished the coloring page that the waitress had given him. Noah promptly gave it to the A.D.A., making him smile. Olivia on the other hand, felt the need to make her presence known. She had slipped her shoe off under the booth, using her foot to teasingly running it up the side of his leg, making sure to stop right before the knee.

" _Can I help you ma'am?"_

" _Oh, no. Continue with what you're doing"._

 _She continued to tease him. Eventually, her foot started to push up his pant leg, letting them touch, skin on skin. A shiver ran down his spine and he knew that if she didn't stop, he would embarrass himself when he stood up._

" _Liv" He said in a warning tone._

" _Rafi"._

 _Rafi. She called him Rafi. Dear Lord was that nickname sexy when it was coming out of her mouth._

" _I'll stop, but only if you have drinks with me tonight" She bargained._

" _Seven o'clock?"_

 _She nodded, lowering leg._

That was the first time that he had seen that side of Olivia Benson, and he hoped it wouldn't be the last.

It was already six and he was still swamped with paperwork. It didn't matter though. He had a date with Olivia to look forward to.

Olivia had just made it to her apartment, feeling the slightest bit guilty for calling so last minute for a favor. Her former detective's mother agreed to watch Noah for the night, insisting that it was no problem. In fact, she had missed having little ones to look after and play with.

Although lunch had been fun, she still felt a bit hungry. Remembering the cookies in her purse, she started snacking on them while picking out the perfect dress for the evening. Unfortunately, she wasn't feeling any of her dresses. After about twenty minutes of debating and snacking, she managed to pick out a dress that hugged everyone of her curves, but still left some to the imagination. She reached into the baggie to get another cookie, but her hand was met by air.

"Crap. I can't believe I ate them all". She looked at the clock, seeing that she only had an hour to get ready.

*20 minutes later*

Olivia was ready and waiting. Her heart was thumping away in her chest and her leg was bouncing as she sat.

 _Rafael will be here in forty minutes. Forty. Minutes. That's almost another hour. Can I wait that long to see him? No. No, I can't. Maybe I should call him…_

Her thoughts were everywhere, but she felt so _good._ Rafael Barba, the man that she had been secretly crushing on for over a year was taking her on a date.

*40 minutes later*

Olivia paced her living room, eagerly waiting for her date to arrive. Her stomach was a mess and her nerves were shot. When had she completely lost her cool?

She practically ran to the door when someone knocked on it.

"Raf!" She excitedly greeted, wrapping her arms around him. He jerked forward, allowing her to hold him tight to her.

"I'm so glad you're here! I was starting to miss you" She pouted.

"Um...what?" He was confused. What happened to her?

"You look so handsome! And you smell amazing". She spotted the flowers in his hand and smiled a huge, kind of creepy smile.

"You got me flowers?" She squealed. "They're the prettiest flowers I've ever seen!"

"Thanks. I'm glad you like them" He said, trying not to sound as concerned as he was.

"Not as much as I like you!" She giggled. I'll just put these in some water and then we can go". She gently "booped" his nose before turning and making her way to the kitchen.

"What the hell?" He whispered to himself. This was _not_ the Olivia he knew and-well he would address that aspect later.

"Reeaaadddyy!" She practically sang. He extended his arm to her, and she happily wrapped her own around it.

He hoped that he was doing the right thing by taking her out as if nothing was wrong, but it was the only way to study her further and see what changed.

 **An: I hope you get where I'm going with this!**


	3. Something Sexy?

**AN: I'm sorry this took me a while to update. I'm still not totally in love with this chapter, but Valentine's Day is tomorrow and I want to have the story finished before midnight tomorrow. Thank you for your support so far, and I would love some feedback. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Law and Order SVU or the characters.**

"So...where are we going?" Olivia asked as she teasingly walked her fingers up and down Rafael's thigh. He wanted to grab her hand and stop her, but he also feared that she'd get the wrong idea. He _loved_ the attention she was giving him and her light mood, but he also knew that this was not typical of Olivia Benson. The taxi driver must have been curious too, because he gave Rafael a questioning look in the mirror. The original plan was to go out for drinks, which sounded like a bad idea the more he thought about it. He had told the taxi driver the address of a place he liked to go when he had some free time.

"How does dancing sound?"

"Ooohhh! I love to dance! Dancing sounds great Rafi!" She leaned over and kissed his cheek, only a centimeter or so away from his lips. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and hold her still while he kissed the daylights out of her. Unfortunately, they weren't alone. However, he did tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, making her giggle.

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"This place is awesome" Olivia said loudly, trying to speak loud enough to be heard over the music.

"I love it here. Great way to forget the stress of the week". He reached out for hand, interlacing their fingers. He lead her to the dance floor just as a slower song came on.

"May I have this dance?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"Of course you can".She gracefully lifted her free hand to rest on his shoulder while he put his arm around her waist. They quickly fell in to beat, lazily swaying to the song. He smiled when she rested her forehead against his. "This is nice" He stated.

"Mhmmm" She hummed. "This is nice...but I personally like things a little faster" She whispered hotly in his ear. He couldn't suppress his groan of approval. _That_ definitely sounded like an Olivia line.

"Be careful Lieutenant. I haven't even kissed you yet".

"About that-"

He cut her off with his lips, finally pressing them against hers.

"That was...I can't even find a word for it" She sighed once they separated. An upbeat song started to play and a wicked smile formed on her face. "Let's see your moves Rafi". She turned around, purposefully moving close enough to him so that her backside was pressed against him. Her hips began to move, grinding herself against him. He had seen plenty of the younger couples move like this on the dance floor, but never in a million years did he expect the captain of the special victims unit to dance in such a way.

"I don't believe that's an objection you're raising there" She giggled. Her hand slowly traveled to the back of his neck, gently pulling him in for a kiss. Her teeth sunk into his lower lip, letting him know what mood she was in now.

"You'll be the death of me Benson...But what a way to go".

They danced to several more songs before needing a break. Olivia insisted on heading over to the bar area, claiming that one drink wouldn't hurt anyone. It was hard to argue with her when she added an extra sway to her hips.

"I'll have a pink panty dropper" Olivia ordered, looking directly at Rafael.

"I'll just have water" He managed to choke out.

"What's the matter Rafi?" She asked as she moved off her barstool and into his lap. "Are you a little _hot_?"

The bartender placed their drinks in front of them and winked at Rafael. She kissed his temple before taking a sip of her drink.

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"When are you getting Noah?" Rafael asked as he walked her up to her apartment.

" is keeping him until tomorrow evening so Lucy can have a day off".She stopped in front of her door and turned to face him. "Want to come in?"

How could he say no to that offer?

"Sure".

She unlocked the door and let him walk in before her. He heard the door shut and felt a strong tug on his shoulder, pulling him backwards. The next thing he knew, his back was forced against the door and Olivia was pressed up against him. Her lips were on his and her hands were on his shirt, working at the buttons. He felt and heard her moan into the kiss, nearly making him shudder.

"Are you chilly Rafi?" She undid his last button, pushing his shirt off of his shoulders. She grabbed his hands, placing them on her back near the zipper of her dress. He quickly grasped it, lowering the zipper as much as he could. Her right down trailed down his body until it met its intended goal, cupping him through his pants.

"Let me warm you up".

"Liv, we can't do this". It took every ounce of his strength to turn her down, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. She wasn't in the proper state of mind, and the thought of her regretting it the next morning was unbearable.

"What? Why not?" She hadn't moved away from him, and her hands stayed in the same places.

"I don't want you to regret this". He looked down, realizing that his shirt was lying on the floor, leaving him in his under shirt. Not to mention the fact that she was still touching him through his pants…

"I would never regret this Rafi".

"You have to trust me on this one, Liv. I want you, I really do, but we can't tonight".

She let go of him, stepping back. "If I had known that I'd be spending the night alone, I would have arranged it so I could at least go get Noah".

"You don't have to be alone" He started. "We just can't go all the way tonight".

"So...you'll stay the night, but you won't sleep with me?"

"I know it's confusing now, but in the morning you'll be thanking me" He could guarantee that.

She reached out for him again, kissing him sweetly. "You are a confusing man Rafael, but at least I know that you respect me".

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Rafael laid on his back, looking up at the ceiling in Olivia's bedroom. She had insisted that he sleep in the bed and not the couch. He didn't mind it, but he still felt like she was going to be pissed at him in the morning. She was fast asleep with her head pillowed on his shoulder and one of her legs resting in between his own. He smiled at the sight of her. He had never seen her so at peace. She snuggled further into him, making him chuckle.

"Go to sleep Rafi" She mumbled.

He kissed the top of her head, loving how right this felt. He could only hope that she wouldn't hold the last six hours against him.

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Olivia awoke to the smell of coffee. Opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of her messy and now empty bed. Was it all a dream? No. She was sure that he-

"Good morning" Rafael greeted from the doorway of her bedroom. She pushed herself up into a sitting position, resting her back against the headboard. He handed her a mug and sat down next to her. Had he slept in his suit all night?

"Do you remember last night?" He asked immediately.

"Yeah...What the hell happened to me?"

"I don't know actually. I did my best to observe you, but it was challenging".

"I promise you, I've never been such a creep before".

"That's reassuring, Liv. Thanks".

She chuckled and took a sip of her coffee. "I have no clue what made me so loopy though. Yesterday was just another normal day. I came home, snacked on some cookies, picked out my

dress, got ready, and then you were here".

"Did you drink at all before I picked you up?"

She shook her head. "All I know is that I felt really good yesterday".

"When did you start feeling good?" He questioned, clearly on to something.

"After I ate some of the cookies". She looked at him with wide eyes. "I ate all of the cookies I had left".

"You don't think…"

"There was something in the cookies".

 **AN: You knew, and now they know. So what now?**


	4. Something Fluffy

**AN: Thank you so much for all of your support! It made me a lot less scared to write for a new pairing. This is kind of short, but I wanted to finish it on Valentine's Day. Love y'all!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own law and order svu or the characters.**

"Knock knock" Rafael said as he opened the door to Olivia's office. It was nearing dinner time, but he knew that she would still be there. Mrs. Amaro would be dropping Noah off in a half hour.

"Hey, I was just about to call you" Olivia admitted as she stood. "What's up?"

"My mother confessed to everything. She made those cookies at home using an old recipe that's supposed to lower inhibitions and bought a Chinese box to put them in. She wouldn't tell me what was actually in them though, just that they couldn't hurt you in any way. I'm sorry".

Olivia shook her head at him. "Don't be. I think we needed a little help from Cupid". She wrapped her arms around him, making him chuckle.

"So you're comparing my mother to Cupid now?"

"You know what I mean".

"This whole mess didn't scare you off?" He was truly amazed that he still had a chance after the ordeal from the previous day.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

He cupped her face, kissing her sweetly. "So we're doing this, we're going to give this a shot?"

Olivia nodded. "But remember, my son will always come first" She warned.

"I know, and I wouldn't want it any other way. In fact, I have a question for you". He stepped out of her arms and slipped a hand into his suit jacket.

"Will you and Noah be my valentines?" He asked, handing her a single red rose. "I thought the three of us could spend Valentine's Day together, watching movies and eating junk food".

"That sounds wonderful Rafi".

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"Come on in" Olivia greeted. She stepped to the side, letting Rafael into her messy apartment. "Don't be fooled. I did actually clean today, but then someone woke up from his nap and decided that he wanted to play with all of his toys at once".

"Well I hope you won't mind if I add one more to the mess". He held up a teddy bear with a big red bow on it, immediately catching the toddler's eye.

"You didn't have to do that...What do we say Noah?"

"Thanks" The young boy said softly. He reached out, carefully wrapping his fingers around the bear.

"De nada. hijo. Noah, can you give this to your mommy for me?"Noah excitedly grabbed the box, taking it to his momma.

"What's this?" She asked.

"Open it".

She lifted the lid and shook her head. "Really? More cookies?"

"They're different. They're just plain old sugar cookies, I promise".

"Come here" She ordered, patting the empty spot on the couch. He sat down next to her and took her hand in his.

"Thank you". She leaned over and kissed him.

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*1 year later*

Rafael wrapped his arms around his beautiful bride, swaying along to the music.

"I love you" He whispered into her ear, making her smile even more.

"I love you more". Olivia had tears in her eyes, and she had for most of the reception so far. He had never seen her so emotional, but he knew the feeling. The moment she appeared at the end of the aisle, he teared up. She was always beautiful, but seeing her in that white dress and veil was like a gift from above. He looked down, feeling a tug on his pant leg.

"Daddy" Noah called, making them smile. "Come here, hijo". Rafael lifted up his son, sandwiching him between his parents.

"You know, I really need to thank Lucia" His wife stated.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I don't know if we'd be here today if she hadn't given you those cookies".

Rafael smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek and then their son. "I can't believe that we're married".

"Me either, but I'm thankful".


End file.
